Set List: This is the list of songs from the set list but Glen changed up the set list during the song because there were some audience requests and he played what he wanted to play.

say it to me now (solo)
all the way down (solo)

with the band:
lies
sleeping
this low
when you minds made up
fantasy man (Marketa)
falling slowly

leave (solo)
lay me down (Frames)/ raglan road
what happens
through the mystic (Van Morrison cover) / healing
bannanaman (request)
fog town

encore:
once (duet)
if you want me (Marketa)
star star (Frames cover with bassist Doyle, Marketa, Glen alternating on vocals)

I’m the type of listener that tries to listen to a bunch of songs by a band before i head out to a gig. For Swell Season, i didn’t do this. I didn’t even get a chance to watch “Once“, the film that featured the music and musicians of Swell Season, a collaboration between Frames frontman Glen Hansard and long time collaborator Marketa Irglova. If you haven’t by now, please watch “Once”. Its one of the best music films i have seen since “Almost Famous”. I walked into the venue not really expecting anything- sure, they haven’t gotten a lot of buzz but i wasn’t really in the mood of a mellow show. On top of this, instead of the usual general admission setup, there were a bunch of folding chairs set up and each ticket holder was assigned a seat. My friend and I were placed really far back and we decided to stand at the bar to get a better/ closer view.

Martha Wainwright opened the show and like her Hotel Cafe show, she was solo and playing a bunch of new songs. I had a feeling that a lot of the audience didn’t know who she was and wasn’t familiar with her songs. But, i think she did a great job of retaining the audience. About three songs in, she asked the audience if anyone had a guitar pick she could borrow because she couldn’t find hers. When guy walked up to the stage and pulled one from his wallet, she asked him in he wanted it back or if he wanted it to be autographed. He declined and Martha feigned disappointments. It was a surprisingly mellow and fun set.

Swell Season:

Glen started off the set doing “Say It To Me Now” solo. About a minute into the song, there were sound issues and he unplugged his guitar, walked to the edge of the stage and continued the song unplugged and without a microphone. You could hear the influence that busking in Dublin had brought to his performance abilities- power, volume, how he strums his guitar like a madman and the ability to capture a crowds attention. By the first song, i was hooked.

Due to the sound issues and the loud air conditioning system, the set started out a little rough and it was apparent when Glen told the venue to shut the air off and asked everyone if it was okay. By the time Marketa and the band joined Glen on stage, the band quickly found their stride.

The set was kept engaging with Marketa performing her own songs “if you want me”, “Alone apart” as well as the duets with Glen. Every member of the band was given the opportunity to showcase their talents with violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire (from the Frames) playing an instrumental violin piece solo by sampling himself with a loop pedal. The song was very beautiful.
The last song of the encore was such a great way to end the night- the band played “Star Star” with Glen, Marketa, and Doyle (Frames bassist) harmonizing and alternating the verses between them. Swell Season, after all, is a collaborative effort.

Swell Season wasn’t like any other band that did meaningless banter in between songs, they were storytellers and they told stories that inspired the songs. After Lies, Glen said that the band came up with the correct definition of a Liar as someone who tells the truth about something that didn’t happen. Glen and Marketa shared the inspiration between “Drown Out” and told the story of this ghost buster type lady that was hired to rid a house of spirits. The story goes that the lady was channeling a spirit when her husband’s body was taken over by a spirit of some sort and it turned out that it was a bunch of kids that were killed because they had disabilities. The reason they took over the body was because they had seen a set of lights in the distance and they followed source of that light which turned out to be her husbands eyes. When they played the song, you can really hear the frantic uncertainty. It was such a haunting experience and for the band to have the ability to channel the emotion of the story really reflects their talents. After another song Glen shared his experience with walking down a beach in San Francisco the day before when there was an oil spill in the harbor. The government Hazmat crew with their clipboards & outfits discussing what should be done while all hippies that had already been on the beach scooping up the goo & putting it in bags continued to work. He concluded that ” Individuals are great, but people are shit.”

At one point in the show, Glen asked the audience if they had any questions and it was like a mini QA session as people screamed out questions like “when is the next Frames record coming out” and when “Twice” would be coming out. A fan even requested “Banana Man”, a song Glen had written for his niece- he played the entire song and even had the crowd sing along.

The best part of the night was when they played “Falling Slowly”. Having never heard it before, i was completely captivated by the song. I could feel the It was one of those perfect moments where everyone in the room is feeling the same thing you are and you’re all connected through the music. The air was heavy with emotion and it was as if everything slowed down and the only thing that existed at that moment was the music.

Due to the 21+ policy at 4th&B, there were some fans that weren’t able to get into the show so they were listening outside one of the exits off to the side of the stage. Glen had security leave the door open so that the fans were still able to listen if not see the show. He had his crew bring them water and made sure that they were okay (it was raining that night). I spotted some of the band members going outside when Glen was playing his songs solo. It was such a rare site to see a musician on his scale be so humble to everyone. After the set, a guy from the audience walked up to stage and slid his cd booklet to be signed (really tacky) but Glen took the time to sign it for him. At that point, the audience crowded around the stage getting autographs and pictures. He was really generous to, sign autographs and take pictures with everyone that asked. I was one of the last people in the venue so i got to chat with him for a few minutes and it was such a pleasure to meet him.

Swell Season was one of those shows that makes me remember why i love music so much- art dictates life and Swell Season are the artists that radiated truthfulness behind the art. As a result, Swell Season tops my concert list of 2007 because their music is reflective, transcendental, and most importantly, honest.

I love KT Tunstall. I think she is such a great performer, talented, adorable, interesting- basically the whole package of what a performer should be. I could be extra attached because i did my first ever interview with her for Interlude Magazine and it was one of the best experiences i have ever had. I thought “Drastic Fantastic” was a nice follow up to “Eye To The Telescope” and you can find a review of it here.

On with the show:

Setlist:
Under the Weather
Miniature Disaster
Other Side Of The World
Hold On
Paper Aeroplane (solo)
White Bird (solo)
Ashes (solo, crowd request)
Saving My Face
Hopeless
Funnyman
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Funnyman
Stopping The Love
If Only

Encore:
Suddenly I See

I thought the show was going to be with a full band like her last tour but she had her drummer, Luke and two backup singers with herself on guitar switching between acoustic and electric. Ive always prefered her solo over her band because you can really see how much work she does. Because she had the backup singers, she didn’t sample herself and left most of the percussion up to them. My favorite part of the show was when her band left the stage and she did a few songs solo. She asked for a crowd request and i had screamed out “Throw Me A Rope”- she looked at me but some other kids right in front of her made some inappropriate comments and they kept her distracted. The requested a song and she then told the story of this disturbing website she had discovered called lifegem and introduced “Ashes”.

Paper Aeroplane sounded so soulful live. The fact that i could hear her fingers move down the frets was chilling.

At one point in the show, she was sampling herself but a girl in the front row screamed (it sounded like she was being murdered)and it was recorded on the loop. She wanted to re record it but the sound guy said it was punk rock so she threw up the horns and continued to play. Every time the loop played you could hear the screams and a bunch of people were laughing though the song.

I like the way “hopeless” sounds live a lot more than the album version. This is due to the fact that I heard it live with mistakes and all the first time she ever played it and it was raw yet charming. I was pretty happy with the songs that she chose to play though i would have loved to hear “Universe & U” and “Throw Me A Rope” but maybe next time.

Felt Mountain was the ambient- psychadelic- jazz- james bond record. Black Cherry was the gritty electroclash synth pop record. Supernature was the glam disco record. Seventh Tree is the sleepy surreal fairytale record. I’m sure a lot of fans of “Supernature” will have a difficult time liking because Goldfrapp had taken their music in a completely different direction. I hear a lot of similarities between Kate Bush and Alison vocally on this record. There is also a lot of acoustic guitar and strings while Alison’s lyrics are more stripped down giving the record a warmer and more personal sound.

Clowns: this track sounds the most like Kate Bush out of the record- its like its straight off of “Aerial“. I had a hard time hearing Alison’s lyrics. This track is really dreamy with the high notes.

Happiness: another really catchy track off the record.

A&E: I find it rather fitting that this is the first single off of “Seventh Tree”. Its one of those songs you can drive to. Its just after sunrise when its still dewy and you the air tastes clean. Breathe it in because life never seemed clearer or made more sense.

Caravan Girl: I expect this to be the second single. Its fun, great chorus in the same vein as

Monster Love: This track swallows you whole. Its like im floating in waves of keyboards. I love the undulation of synths.

My only gripe with this record is that Allison’s vocals sound muddled throughout and i had a hard time understanding what she was singing even through high quality headphones (though it could be the copy i have and it being in mp3 format). So, it took my attention off her voice and i focused more on the music itself. Her voice is like an instrument in that it just swirls around with the music. This record is definitely more personal and intimate. Will’s nuances in the songs are quite amazing- from the fading in and out of synths in Monster Love. Goldfrapp’s music has provided a strong visual experience and no record embodies this better than “Seventh Tree”

I recently rediscovered David Gray- I forgot how amazing of a record “White Ladder” is. I truly believe that if it wasn’t for David’s success, acts like Damien Rice wouldn’t have had the opportunity. “Babylon” was David’s biggest hit off of the record and one of my favorite tracks. I remember the first time i saw the video, completely mesmerized by his words and his rhythmic moving that matched the beats of the song. It was almost like Madonna’s “Ray of Light” video but not as overproduced or fake. The video concept was simple- performance shots cut with shots of the city. Somehow it seemed so personal and it was like the song echoed his soul. I loved the parts where you see him grin as he’s singing because it encapsulates the liveliness of the city, the message of the song, and his performance style. This is one of my favorite songs to put on during my late night/ early morning drives.

Babylon live from the Hammersmith Apollo taken from the Life In Slow Motion” DVD:

David Gray - Please Forgive Me “Life in Slow Motion” tour

I first wrote about Kate Nash in October and how i expected her to have a large following in the U.S. Well, her first short stop in Los Angeles was sold out. I would say that’s a sign of doing pretty well. Not to mention the fact that this gig was after the announcement of the Brit Nominations, the UK’s equivalent to the Grammys and Kate is nominated for 3 Brits which include: British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act and British Single (off topic but bat For Lashes got 2 nods). When i purchased my tix for the Troubadour show (the day after it was announced) and the lady selling tickets said the gig was almost sold out. To compensate, Kate did a short set at Amoeba Records. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go so the Troubadour gig would have to suffice. Anyways, moving onto the show.

Kate was pretty much everything i expected live- she had a nice voice facial expressions emphasized the witty parts of songs. Her voice was clear, accent distinct and yet the lyrics weren’t inaudible. What i didn’t expect was how rock the songs sounded- heavier, less pop than the record, more electronic beats, and how into the songs she was. I didn’t like the drummer because he basically overwhelmed each song- it was like it was the drummer show and Kate wasn’t a part of it. But I liked the parts were when Kate closed the songs out by hitting various keys. At the end of her encore, she started pounding on her keyboard until her bracelet broke and it was flung into the crowd. Yes, it was returned to her. But i guess it was a sign to stop, bow, and exit the stage.

Most of Kate’s more intimate, quieter numbers were played on guitar whereas the poppy witty songs were piano based.

Setlist:

The Wizard of Oz/ Play Intro
Mariella
Stitching Leggings
Skeleton
Birds (guitar)
Nicest Thing (guitar)
Dickhead (guitar)
We Get On
Mouthwash
Foundations
Merry Happy

—————————-
Little Red (solo on piano)
Pumpkin Soup

Birds was really pretty live. I thought the version on the record was a little weak but i didn’t even notice when she was playing it live. Her facial expressions and reactions added a lot to the song. It was as if she was just telling a story with a guitar in hand.
Shit Song was really fun live- reminds me a lot of a Motown song with keyboards and an electronic beat.
Merry Happy- one of my favorite songs off the record and it was fun to hear it. Just a great song to close out the set with.
I really missed the sound of the strings because it made the guitar songs more rich. So, i hope next tour, Kate brings along her violinist. If you can, check her out while you can still see her in small venues because its only a matter of months before she’s going to sweep up her Brit Awards and play one of the large venues…

These are almost all the shows i’ve attended this year. 45 Total

rilo kiley 10/12 @ soma
carina round 2/3 HC, january HC, 3/9 HC, 3/23 HC, 3/30 HC, 6/19 roxy, 6/31 key club, 8/16 HC,
8mm 2/3 @the scene, 2/7 Molly Malones, Safari sams, 2/28 MM, 11/10 @ Roxy
stars @ hob sd
swell season 11/11 @ 4th&B
missy higginss 10/17 @ Hotel cafe, 10/19 @ borders
lennon 6/11 Knitting Factory, 6/15 HOB Anaheim
Terra Naomi 1/30 @ HC, HC 9/30, 10/4 buffalo club
metric 10/4 @ center staging, 10/5 @ Henry Fonda,
emily haines
martha wainwright 9/24,
first fridays 2/2 Tussle, 3/2 ghostland observatory w/ matmos, autolux/ deerhoof, plaid, imarobot, The submarines
damien rice @ Greek 9/20
bat for lashes 10/8 @ HOB SD, 10/9 @ Troubadour
tegan and sara 10/30 @ spreckles
IAMX 3/29 @ Safari Sams, 3/30 @ Safari Sams, 11/3 @ el rey,
stars 11/9 @ HOB SD
KT Tunstall 11/13
Tori Amos @ Copley Symphony Hall
Shiny Toy Guns @ HOB SD
The Submarines @ Viper Room

My Favorite shows of the year:

1) Swell Season @ 4th&B
2) Bat For Lashes @ the Delta Room, House of Blues
3) Metric @ Henry Fonda
4) Emily Haines @ The El Rey
5) IAMX @ Safari Sam’s (first night)
6)Missy Higgins @ Hotel Cafe
7) Tegan & Sara @ Spreckels
Terra Naomi @ Hotel Cafe 1/30
9) 1/30 Rilo Kiley @ Soma
10) Carina Round @ Hotel Cafe 2/7 (the first time i saw her)